Special Report
AND1NG OVA lON
For The
Community
Mandell and Madeleine Berman Theatre
to rise at West Bloomfield JCC.
One of Judaism's greatest sages, Hillel, said, "Do not separate yourself from the community." Simple
words, but, oh, so wise. The Detroit Jewish community continues to be blessed with many leaders and
philanthropists of high stature. Our community has fallen in population, but we take a backseat to no
region when it comes to American Jewish leadership and involvement. What's especially wonderful is the
number of national Jewish leaders who continue to serve their hometown of Detroit proudly and with
gusto. Take Bill and Madge Berman, for example. The American Jewish landscape bears their flowering
imprint in various forms. But the Jewish community that is their home remains their first love. Make no
mistake about it: We are richer for having the Bermans in our midst. — Robert Sklar, editor
The Bermans have long been involved
in philanthropy, both in the Jewish and
secular communities, and have made
numerous contributions to cultural insti-
tutions. This latest gift marks their first
toward the creation of a theater, "and we're
delighted by how enthusiastically it has
been received," Berman said.
Berman credits his wife with the idea
to donate money for a theater. Madeleine
"Madge" Berman is a pianist and onetime
music critic for the Eccentric Newspapers
in Oakland County. She is active in the
Humane Society of Michigan, the Detroit
Zoo in Royal Oak and Americans for the
Arts, among other causes.
September Start
Rendering of the
theater entrance
Elizabeth Applebaum
Special to the Jewish News
M
andell "Bill" Berman never
forgot the lessons of loyalty,
responsibility and caring for
the community he learned in his tradi-
tional Jewish upbringing,
The 91-year-old philanthropist and
his wife recently provided a $4 million
grant to create a Jewish Community
Center theater, the Mandell and Madeleine
Berman Theatre, to be constructed on the
Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish
Community Campus in West Bloomfield.
The theater will be built on the east side of
the JCC's D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building
near the Janice Charach Gallery.
"My wife and I wanted to make a gift that
would be useful to the Jewish and the gen-
eral community," said Berman of Franklin.
Al2
June , ,'009
A ceremonial groundbreaking for the new
theater will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday,
June 7, with construction set to begin in
September. Completion of the new theater
is expected in the summer of 2010.
The 15,000-square-foot theater will be a
professionally equipped facility with about
400 seats (expandable to accommodate
more than 600), a computerized lighting
system and state-of-the-art sound and
acoustics. It will include a full backstage
with dressing rooms, a green room, a shop
and numerous offices and storage space.
Another feature will be a sophisticated
fly system with ropes, pulleys and other
tools that allow technical crews to move
lights and set pieces on and off stage, plus
wings, used by performers entering the
stage and for theatrical equipment.
The theater will host ongoing JCC
programs including the Stephen Gottlieb
Jewish MusicFest and Lenore Marwil
Jewish Film Festival events, Annual
Jewish Book Fair presentations and SAJE
(Seminars for Adult Jewish Enrichment)
lectures, plus many more.
The Mandell and Madeleine Berman
Theatre, to be designed by Neumann/
Smith Architecture of Southfield, also
will be open for events hosted by the
general Jewish community, for secular
organizations, for large-scale events such
as orchestral performances and for profes-
sional and amateur theater groups.
The Jewish Ensemble Theatre, housed in
the basement of the JCC in West Bloomfield,
will present some of its shows in the
Berman Theatre as will the Frankel Jewish
Academy, also housed at the JCC, which has
a large and popular drama department.
Also housed in the new facility will be
the new JCC School for the Performing
and Fine Arts.
Applause, Applause
"When Bill and Madge first brought up
the idea of a theater, my heart started
pounding:' said JCC Executive Director
Mark A. Lit. "The first time I toured the
Kahn Building, I was so impressed, but I
wondered how you could have such a first-
class JCC without a theater.
"We have one of the finest cultural and
performing arts programs in the country.
In the last two years alone, we have hosted
Elie Wiesel, Alan Dershowitz, Michael
Chabon, Jeffrey Toobin, Martin Fletcher,
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, composer Charles
Strouse, Israeli singing sensation Noa and
Melissa Manchester.